Voting, and especially voting for a political election or the like, should be monitored and closely controlled to prevent fraud and abuse. Accordingly, and in the prior art, voting for such a political election in particular is held at specified polling places, based on certified voter rolls, with specialized vote counting machinery, and with polling judges, workers, and the like in attendance, among other things. With such monitoring and close control, then, a particular voter should only be allowed to vote once, and in the name of such particular voter and no one else. In addition, with such monitoring and close control, the selections made by the particular voter should be honored and not altered in any manner, especially by any nefarious entity that might wish to influence the election in an inappropriate manner.
With the advent of personal computing, interconnected data networks such as the Internet, and the wide use of personal computing devices to perform tasks, it would seem that a voter voting in an election or the like should be able to do so by way of a computing device coupled by way of a network to a vote gathering service maintained by a vote counting authority. As should no doubt be appreciated, voting by way of a computing device would free the voter from the need to actually visit a specific polling place, and would also free the voter from any un-pleasantries associated therewith, including taking time off from other activities, traveling to the polling place, possibly waiting at the polling place for others to vote, and being required to employ possibly unfamiliar vote counting machinery, among other things. Moreover, voting by way of a computing device would allow the voter to vote from wherever the voter may be located, be it work, home, at a library, or elsewhere, presuming of course the voter at the location was properly provisioned with appropriate hardware, software, and communications access.
However, it is to be appreciated that a vote counting authority is likely highly hesitant to allow a voter to vote from a place other than a polling location, especially inasmuch as such voting would take place on a computing device and with a voting application that is not in the physical control of the vote counting authority. Put simply, such vote counting authority is likely rightfully concerned that allowing a voter to vote from a place other than a polling location is an invitation to fraud and abuse, especially by the aforementioned nefarious entity that might wish to influence the election in an inappropriate manner.
Accordingly, a need exists for a method for implementing secure and trustworthy voting from a place other than a polling location. In particular, a need exists for a method for implementing such voting by way of a computing device appropriately coupled to a vote gathering service and appropriately provisioned with a voting application. Further, a need exists for a method for implementing such voting that is not prone to fraud or abuse.